Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is surely EA's last chance to give the legions of Potter fans the virtual companion they deserve after so many low-grade and lacklustre computerised cash-ins. The good news is that the final release is the best video game adaptation we've seen in quite some time - with the exception of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, of course - but it still can't hold a candle to its spellbinding silver-screen counterpart.

Without wishing to reveal too much of the plot, the concluding game centres around Harry, Ron and Hermione's hunt for the remaining Horcruxes, which builds towards the ultimate showdown with the evil Voldemort. Players step into the shoes of a number of Potter favourites and take part in some of the more famous battles of the final film. If actions really do speak louder than words, then fans of the boy wizard will understand that from a storytelling perspective, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is far more suited to the video game medium than any of its predecessors.

From the Gringotts raid in the opening moments to the battle of Hogwarts in the latter stages, the developers are able to mirror the plot of the action-orientated movie with more accuracy and without having to manufacture additional scenarios and side-quests. When action sequences won't do, however, there are a number of cutscenes to aid the narrative, which, despite some dodgy voice acting, are handled far more competently than in previous titles and actually make sense this time around - although the ending is slightly anti-climatic and feels a little rushed.

The graphics also benefit from an extra layer of polish, and the more traditional Harry Potter settings, such as Hogsmeade, Hogwarts and the aforementioned Gringotts, will resonate far better with fans and neutrals than the shoddy surroundings found in the last game. The controls have also been tweaked. Gone is the cumbersome spell wheel from Part 1, to be replaced by a much more intuitive system which sees spells assigned to different face buttons. Tapping a button once selects bog-standard spells such as Stupefy, while a quick double tap highlights some of the more potent enchantments in a player's arsenal.

The new system ensures that the action is much more fluid, eliminating the stuttering, stop/start nature of the last game. It is, however, easy to make mistakes and press a button too often, especially when attempting to deal with multiple enemies at once, some of whom will be shielded, while others won't. Unfortunately, this rather minor flaw in the control scheme highlights the game's biggest problem: there are too many mindless drones to deal with at any given time. The developers have definitely gone for quantity over quality in the enemy stakes.

To put this into perspective, it's relatively easy to rack up more than 1,000 kills over the course of the game and in the challenge mode, but it's very rare that players will taste defeat themselves. Players are therefore able to journey from scene to scene, battle to battle on auto-pilot, knowing that the baddies are unlikely to put up much resistance. This is especially true of the final boss, which is a terribly disappointing encounter, especially considering the number of years that this battle has been brewing. The A.I. is once again terrible and the cover system remains poor, which results in what is essentially another tedious and repetitive third-person shooter.

The developers have tried to inject a bit of variety by adding the odd chase sequence, but, much like past stealth sections, these moments are poorly executed and can be quite frustrating. A Challenge mode has been included for those wishing to take a break from the relatively short campaign, but it's more of the same, only slightly trickier. Save for a few leaderboards, there's no real multiplayer element, which further highlights the game's staggering lack of variety.

It's a crying shame that there isn't more to do, especially considering that the opening chapter alone features a number of sections with enormous set piece potential - there are mine carts and dragons, for goodness sake! Unfortunately, the developers have failed to spot these openings for players to make a lively entrance or fiery escape and have focused on the tedious combat instead.

Fundamentally, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 improves upon its predecessor. The presentation is largely very good, while the action-packed movie plot makes it easier for the developers to tell a coherent story. The controls are less cumbersome, which ensures that the action is much more fluid, giving the latest Harry Potter video game a fighting chance of leaving the same magical mark as its silver-screen counterpart.

Unfortunately, there are some problems which can't be eliminated with a quick wave of a magic wand. The gameplay remains a weak imitation of a third-person shooter and the enemy A.I. is extremely poor. The lack of variety in the set pieces and the sheer number of dopey Death Eaters makes Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 a tedious experience, riddled with repetition.